``Sinn Fein has a strong negotiating team up at Stormont today,
including Party President Gerry Adams MP, Martin McGuinness MP,
Mitchel McLaughlin, Bairbre de Brun and Gerry Kelly.

There are three steps which now need to be taken urgently almost
8 months after the Agreement was reached. These are the
establishment of the Executive; the establishment of the
All-Ireland Ministerial Council, and the establishment of
All-Ireland Policy and Implementation bodies.

We are here to ensure that agreement is concluded this week on
the number and designation of departments, and the number and
remit of the policy and implementation bodies. This is necessary
to ensure that we can move speedily on to the establishment of
the necessary structures as set out, agreed and promised in the
Good Friday Agreement.

Sinn Fein is seeking 10 departments. These are: Equality;
Agriculture and Fisheries; Economic Development; Health and
Social Services; Education; Environment and public services;
Infrastructure and Development; Finance and Legal Services;
Tourism, arts, culture and heritage; and Training, Employment and
Social Security.

We are also looking for a minimum of 7 policy and implementation
bodies. These should include: an Irish language promotion body;
an All-Ireland investment agency; a trade promotion and
indigenous company development body; a Training and employment
agency; operation of EU common policy; an EU programmes
implementation body; an All-Ireland Tourism Body.

We want to see conclusion on these matters. Unionists want to
undermine the equality and inclusive of the process and to hollow
out the substance of the all-Ireland structures. Specifically
they are attacking the equality department, and the all-Ireland
Irish language body and the all-Ireland Economic Development
body. These are crucial for nationalists.